Here is the gear setup for steve carpenter. It's really two rigs with too sets of foot control. One traditional pedal/rack setup and a guitar rig 5 setup complete with macbook and Kontrol foot controller. It's great to see pros starting to integrate software directly in to their setup beyond using sims in hardware like Axe FX/Kemper. Not that those are not killer products, just that many young players have a laptop of some kind, or desktop, and can easily get guitar rig free, or the paid version pretty cheap and use patches from pros they admire.

Not to mention my oft used battle cry 'Couldn't you just do that in software?"

This is sick! I'm jelous...jelous of the guy having people who will transport this Also...I was watching some movie where Carpenter said he had his rig doubled so the second crew can set up the gig in the opposite end of America or so

Not really, it looks like guitar rig is just part of his stage rig. His rack rick has it's own backups it seems built right in.

QUOTE (Gabriel Leopardi @ Jul 18 2013, 12:21 PM)

That's what I would call a complex rig! So what you mean is that his backup for everything is Guitar Rig? Am I right?

Ouch!!! I hope they have strong backs!! Two of these? It would needs it's own truck!!!

QUOTE (Darius Wave @ Jul 18 2013, 12:50 PM)

This is sick! I'm jelous...jelous of the guy having people who will transport this Also...I was watching some movie where Carpenter said he had his rig doubled so the second crew can set up the gig in the opposite end of America or so

"We're loving firmware 10 and have finished presets for all of the songs on the latest record" says Stef. "For the Diamond Eyes record on back we did one preset for each record. We tone-matched the recordings of each album using the isolated guitar stems and made impulse responses (IRs) of the cabinets. Each of the albums have their own cabinet IR. For Koi No Yokan, we're releasing a preset for each song and the presets may have 2 or 3 scenes. For the older albums we're using one comprehensive preset for the whole record, so we're going with up to 8 scenes per preset. We may cut some of those down into different presets to make them simpler."

"Right now we're releasing the presets and cabinet IR for Koi No Yokan and we'll be releasing the presets for the other albums in the near future. We're writing up documentation on the patches so that people can understand how they work, including photos of the guitars used, pedalboard setup, and the expression pedal and switch set-up, so this will serve as the instruction manual for my live rig as well. I'm using the MFC-101 with 3 expression pedals and 2 external switches, which is a little bit simpler than what I've been using (which was 4 pedals/4 switches). The patches reflect my live setup where I run direct through the PA and also use an on-stage 4x12 cab as a personal monitor."

Stef is excited to see other players enjoy this look inside his rig and is looking forward to seeing what this will bring forth from the Fractal user community. "The one thing that I want to stress to everyone is that these are the actual presets that I'm using right now in my live rig. They sound great to me direct and through a cab. Also realize that these presets are constantly changing: they sound great right now, and six months from now they may sound better. A year from now, they'll be killer. More importantly, I'd love to hear what other people do to them. I may like some of their changes and add them back into my presets and I'm looking forward to that."

Manning the controls for this project, Kevin is the owner of Backroom Studios in Rockaway NJ. He met Stef at a Deftones show in 2011. They spent some time talking about the Axe-Fx and soon after Kevin was invited to come out to Stef's studio to work on his rig. Kevin has been a Fractal user since the Ultra, coming from a long line of other modeling products: "Aside from the unit being amazing, I was sold on the fact that I could go to the forum with questions or problems and get responses from the community and the product developers right away - that's awesome and it sold me on Fractal and their products."

Kevin records a lot of bands at his studio and the Axe-Fx is a big part of that process. "I'd say that 90% of the recordings I work on use the Axe-Fx II or the Ultra, and that's determined by listening tests with the artists. I like to run an A/B test with bands that come in. We set up a traditional rig using the best amps, cabs, preamps and mics and A/B it for them with the Axe-Fx and they almost always go with the Axe-Fx."

I agree it is a big price. I thought about it long and hard, I'd even just completed my pedal board to how I wanted it, but one day I woke up and just pressed the buy button.

I've been using the Axe Fx Ultra since Sept / Oct '08 and whilst there are times I'd love to have an amp and pedalboard rig again, the Axe Fx wins out in so many situations. In fact I only got rid of my amp and pedalboard rig last year to help fund a recording pc, and it was just gathering dust and taking up room. So even those times when I liked the idea of using the I still used the Axe Fx because of versatility.

"We're loving firmware 10 and have finished presets for all of the songs on the latest record" says Stef. "For the Diamond Eyes record on back we did one preset for each record. We tone-matched the recordings of each album using the isolated guitar stems and made impulse responses (IRs) of the cabinets. Each of the albums have their own cabinet IR. For Koi No Yokan, we're releasing a preset for each song and the presets may have 2 or 3 scenes. For the older albums we're using one comprehensive preset for the whole record, so we're going with up to 8 scenes per preset. We may cut some of those down into different presets to make them simpler."

"Right now we're releasing the presets and cabinet IR for Koi No Yokan and we'll be releasing the presets for the other albums in the near future. We're writing up documentation on the patches so that people can understand how they work, including photos of the guitars used, pedalboard setup, and the expression pedal and switch set-up, so this will serve as the instruction manual for my live rig as well. I'm using the MFC-101 with 3 expression pedals and 2 external switches, which is a little bit simpler than what I've been using (which was 4 pedals/4 switches). The patches reflect my live setup where I run direct through the PA and also use an on-stage 4x12 cab as a personal monitor."

Stef is excited to see other players enjoy this look inside his rig and is looking forward to seeing what this will bring forth from the Fractal user community. "The one thing that I want to stress to everyone is that these are the actual presets that I'm using right now in my live rig. They sound great to me direct and through a cab. Also realize that these presets are constantly changing: they sound great right now, and six months from now they may sound better. A year from now, they'll be killer. More importantly, I'd love to hear what other people do to them. I may like some of their changes and add them back into my presets and I'm looking forward to that."

Manning the controls for this project, Kevin is the owner of Backroom Studios in Rockaway NJ. He met Stef at a Deftones show in 2011. They spent some time talking about the Axe-Fx and soon after Kevin was invited to come out to Stef's studio to work on his rig. Kevin has been a Fractal user since the Ultra, coming from a long line of other modeling products: "Aside from the unit being amazing, I was sold on the fact that I could go to the forum with questions or problems and get responses from the community and the product developers right away - that's awesome and it sold me on Fractal and their products."

Kevin records a lot of bands at his studio and the Axe-Fx is a big part of that process. "I'd say that 90% of the recordings I work on use the Axe-Fx II or the Ultra, and that's determined by listening tests with the artists. I like to run an A/B test with bands that come in. We set up a traditional rig using the best amps, cabs, preamps and mics and A/B it for them with the Axe-Fx and they almost always go with the Axe-Fx."

Additional releases from Stef and Kevin are expected in 2013.

I was going to ask why doesn't he get 2 Axe ultra and forgets all the issues that this complex/old rig could bring.

Deftones has been one of the world's most influential alternative metal bands of the last decade and it is nothing short of normal for Mr. Carpenter to have whatever suits his needs. I've also seen a little movie in which Jim Root of Slipknot/Stone Sour, explains his rig and the fact that he has 2 rigs which are twins and while one is with him where he gigs, the other one travels at the next gig already and so on. That's how things are going at that level in the business.

It's about four months old. Released in MARCH of this year. But yeah, it's probably from his last tour. I was sharing to more because I thought it just a cool setup than because I thought it was the latest news But yeah, folks are ditching their old rigs and switching to axe effects in droves.

Makes sense, it costs money to tote/ship that stack of gear around the country and with an axe effects and power amp you just don't need all that other stuff. IT's also very road ready since the software is burned on to the firmware and there are no moving parts. But as was mentioned, the price is still a bit high imho for what is essentially a custom guitar plugin running on commodity hardware. That said, I wouldn't mind having one someday myself

Todd

QUOTE (PosterBoy @ Jul 19 2013, 07:51 AM)

That might be out of date..

Additional releases from Stef and Kevin are expected in 2013.

Yup At the very top of the ladder in terms of audience draw, the money is such huge rigs are just part of the deal. With bands closer to the middle/lower middle, the costs are getting to be crazy so they are starting to take one set of guitar cabs for everyone, and each guy has their own axe efffects or kemper. I read about this on a recent djent tour where they saved money/time/fuel by brining just one set of guitar cabs. Since they all liked the ORANGE PPC, it worked out fine

QUOTE (Cosmin Lupu @ Jul 20 2013, 12:44 PM)

Deftones has been one of the world's most influential alternative metal bands of the last decade and it is nothing short of normal for Mr. Carpenter to have whatever suits his needs. I've also seen a little movie in which Jim Root of Slipknot/Stone Sour, explains his rig and the fact that he has 2 rigs which are twins and while one is with him where he gigs, the other one travels at the next gig already and so on. That's how things are going at that level in the business.

Speaking of software rigs/amp sims, I bought an amp simulator called Headcase (by AcmeBarGig) today.I will post a little review/impressions thing once I get a play with it! Looks pretty cool. You can basically make your own heads.

Speaking of software rigs/amp sims, I bought an amp simulator called Headcase (by AcmeBarGig) today.I will post a little review/impressions thing once I get a play with it! Looks pretty cool. You can basically make your own heads.

I have a huge respect for people who get into the technicalities of their tone and construct such complex rigs! I think that it is an art of its own. Personally, I like to keep it as simple as possible when finding the tone. Most like because I was used to playing on different gear every week so I had to find a system (my tone) which I could replicate almost in any conditions.

For that reason I got a useful Markbass Super Booster pedal which has two filters built in, more important one being a sort of shape filter (mid scoop). That allows me to get that bass/trebly scooped sound on amps which do not have that filter/functionality built in. Other then that, I try to always use flat settings on the amp and dial in EQ on my bass onboard preamp.

Huge props to him for building this monster It seems like it's a a bit of a dying art these days now so many folks are switching to Axe/FX Kemper and it's hard to blame them given the economics of touring. If you can get killer tone and only have to pay to ship a rack unit around for a tour, it's hard to say no.

QUOTE (Bogdan Radovic @ Jul 26 2013, 08:06 AM)

I have a huge respect for people who get into the technicalities of their tone and construct such complex rigs! I think that it is an art of its own. Personally, I like to keep it as simple as possible when finding the tone. Most like because I was used to playing on different gear every week so I had to find a system (my tone) which I could replicate almost in any conditions.

For that reason I got a useful Markbass Super Booster pedal which has two filters built in, more important one being a sort of shape filter (mid scoop). That allows me to get that bass/trebly scooped sound on amps which do not have that filter/functionality built in. Other then that, I try to always use flat settings on the amp and dial in EQ on my bass onboard preamp.